Research at Baylor College of Medicine

Clinical Investigation Training: Would your role at Baylor College of Medicine or your future career plans be enhanced by training in clinical investigation? Consider enrolling in The Clinical Scientist Training Program.

About Us

The Clinical Scientist Training Program is committed to educating and training highly motivated individuals to become successful, independent clinical investigators and future leaders in academic medicine and biomedical research. It is designed for junior faculty and senior residents or sub-specialty fellows at Baylor College of Medicine. The program infrastructure is supported by the Institute for Clinical and Translational Research.

The CSTP offers Ph.D. (for faculty only) and M.S. (for faculty and senior residents / fellows) degrees in clinical investigation through the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Both the Ph.D. and M.S. programs are designed for academic clinicians with a significant commitment to clinical research.The Ph.D. degree takes four-five years to complete, and the M.S. should be completed within three years. The CSTP also offers a one-year program leading to a Certificate of Added Qualification in clinical investigation. The CAQ is designed for academic clinicians who are interested in an in-depth introduction to clinical research and grant writing, but cannot commit to the additional years required to obtain a graduate degree.

Clinical investigation is defined as hypothesis-driven, patient-oriented research on human subjects, in conjunction with relevant laboratory measurements, in the broad areas of clinical biology, natural history, prevention, screening, diagnosis, therapeutic interventions, clinical trials, behavior, mechanisms or epidemiology of disease, or the efficacy and effectiveness of health care delivery. Included in this definition are clinical trials, health services research and “translational” research – the latter bridges the application of information between the laboratory and new methods of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Excluded from the definition are purely in vitro studies that utilize human tissues but do not involve any direct interactions with patients.

The deadline for application to the CSTP is March 1 each year, for matriculation on July 1. Applicants must be officially appointed as senior residents / fellows or junior faculty at Baylor College of Medicine, and M.S. and Ph.D. applicants must be assured of at least 75 percent protected time for research and research-related activities for the entire duration of their participation in the CSTP.